Lampshades



Jan. 24, 1956 c, LEECH 2,732,489

LAMPSHADES Filed Dec. 5, 1950 FIG. 7 If 33 INVENTOR HAROLD C- LEECH BYWM, MMPM ATTORNEYS LAMPSHADES Harold C. Leech, Brighton Beach, Durban,Union of South Africa Application December 5, 1950, Serial No. 199,209

Claims priority, application Union of South Africa December 31, 1949 7Claims. (Cl. 240-108) This invention relates to the manufacture oflampshades, and more particularly of the type commonly used withelectric light bulbs and consisting of a suitably shaped canopy oftextile fabric or other such material with support means connecting itsuitably about the lamp.

The usual practice in the making of this type of shade is that a wireframe is constructed to the required general shape of the shade; thewire frame is then wrapped with strip material, such as linen, silk orthe like, and then a lining is stitched on to the frame and the shadeproper is attached. This method provides a shade which, whilstdecorative, is not easy to manufacture cheaply; it is decidedly clumsyto handle, and it is generally very inconvenient, if not impossible, toremove the outer cover or canopy as, for example, for purposes ofcleaning.

According to the invention, in lampshade manufacture the canopy or coveris not framed in the ordinary way but is maintained in shape by aresilient separation of upper and lower regions of the canopy by membersengaging them respectively, and of shapes appropriate to, or such aswill define, the required external shape of the shade.

More particularly said members are of plate or like form and they arespaced suitably by resilient means applying tension to the canopy orcover between its upper and lower engagement regions with said members.

Other features of the invention will appear from the followingdescription and the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a construction of lampshade inuse on a table or pedestal lamp; this view although showing a specificconstruction. being primarily intended to illustrate the principleunderlying the invention in any of its possible'applications, e. g. tolampshades of any kinds including if desired constructions devised forpendant support;

Figure 2 is a vertical section of a'preferred construction of lampshade;

Figure 3 is a fragmental cross section to a larger scale of the upperparts of the construction shown in Figure 2; also illustrating thepreferred mode of engagement between the canopy and'one of the plateorlike members aforesaid;

Figure 4 is a plan of the ferred construction;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of 'a-strut'element showing articulatedhinge means;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of a strut element showing partsconnected by a threaded union; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view of a strut element showing a member intowhich the ends of the strut parts are inserted and held by set screws.

In Figure 1, a lampshade according to the present invention may compriseupper and lower members 1 and 2 respectively in the form of glass orplastic plates or the like having inherent resiliency. One of these,

upper parts. of the same pre- 2,732,489 Patented Jan. 24, 1956 2,intended to constitute the base of the shade, may be cut, moulded orotherwise formed to a circle, annulus or to any other desired shape, e.g. hexagonal, octagonal, triangular or scalloped on the outer edge 3.

The other member, 1, intended to form the top, may be of a similar shapeand construction to the first or base and it may, if desired, be of alesser area. These two. plates or the like are held apart by a distancepieceof cage form which may be made'up from metal strips or wires, or,if desired, from preferably transparent plastic material. In thisdistance piece there may be incorporated a spring, springs or the like,designed to provide compensating tension on the material orfabric of thecanopy when such materials may be affected, as'

by humidity changes.

A simple construction of distance piece may as shown consist of threeannuli 4, 5 and 6- arranged on a com+ mon axis, two (4 and 5)- beingconnected as a cage of any length less than the required height of theshade canopy where the same is supported, by means of a number saythree, of rods as 7, 8 or the like and the low-.

er one of these two annuli being adapted -to be screwed or otherwisefixed concentrically to the upper side of the lower or base plate 2about the central hole for the lampholder 9. The third annulus 6, isconnected to the :other (5) of the first two by a coiled spring 10 ofstrip or other form whereby it thrusts upwardly against-the underside ofthe upper plate 1 or the like.

At or in the vicinity of the top and bottom edges of the canopy therewill be provided a-beading of any con- .Venient kind having a degree ofelasticity enabling it-to fit about the periphery of the respectiveplates and transmit the tension to the fabric between such beading.Conveniently, for such beading there may be sewn orprovided (as mostclearly shown in Figure 3) a'hem 11 -in which a cord 12 may be threadedand tied so as to bring the, hems of .the canopy into smaller compassesthan the outside edges 13, 14 of the top and bottom plates or the like,or any convenient type of elastic material may be threaded into suchhems to produce the same efiect.

It will be appreciated that it is a simple matter to assemble the topand bottom plates or the like'and the distance piece between them. Thetop and bottom hems of the canopy are pulled over or otherwise attachedin a very simple way to the top and bottom plates, thus Q making acomplete lampshade with the canopy fabric held under tension.

A hole 15 is provided in the bottom plate 2, of such dimensions as toenable the plate and its associated parts.

-to be attached to any usual type of electric batten hold-Q j er fittingor American screw light fitting. A hole 1 6' is also provided in the topplate 1 for the admission of a hand for inserting or removing the usualtype of electric light bulb 17.

Referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the preferred I constructioncomprises inwardly dished plates 1 and 2, and a springy distance piecearrangement comprising curvilinear elements 18 providing resilientstruts thev ends I of which fit into sockets formed, as for example inthe manner clearly shown in Figure 3, in the two platesQ so that thewhole assembly has a resilient'bellows char actor for the tensioning ofthe canopy fabric when fitted in place.

In this preferred construction, the two members 1 and 2 as also thesockets 19 are made from the plastic known as Perspex, or other suchmaterial, and the struts may be of a suitable metal wire or rod or thelike bent to sinuous shapes of the kinds shown.

A lampshade of such construction provides an elfective seal against theentry of flying insects, and if desired a finely reticulated gauze orlike disc or cap may be fitted as 20 into or over the top hole tocomplete the protection, and generally to exclude foreign matter whilstpreferably, however, admitting air circulation, e. g. by a central vent21.

Elimination of spars and the like or their shadows showing through thecanopy or cover, obtainable by pitching the elements 17 or 18 preferablywell to the inside of the plate peripheries 13 and 14, or at leastbringing the intermediate parts of these elements as shown, close to thebulb 17, both enhances the artistic appearance of the lampshade and alsomakes for greater lighting efficiency. The canopy or cover may be easilyremoved and replaced, as for cleaning purposes and a canopy may bereadily exchanged for another of the same fundamental size affording ameans of changing a decorative scheme and/or lighting effect at smallcost.

Furthermore, the entire structure may be readily collapsed and packed ina fiat condition, to be assembled in a matter of moments when required.

The foregoing feature of collapsibility also minimizes risk of damage todelicate fabrics in transit, lampshades of the ordinary constructionbeing notoriously fragile.

Top and bottom plates may be dished to any angle or section, e. g.steeper dishing adding to peripheral strength, and or providing a simplemeans if desired of concealing impedimenta detracting from appearance ofthe whole, e. g. the adaptor, switch and the like.

Strut elements constituting the resilient distance piece in theforegoing constructions may be modified to include means for tensioningthe material of the canopy. As shown in Figure 5, such means may bearticulated hinge means in the form of a toggle 30 between parts of thestrut element 18 in Figure 2. Figure 6 shows a union element 31 having abore therethrough which is threaded in one direction at one end and inthe opposite direction at the other end. The ends of the parts of strutelement 18 are threaded so that on turning the union element 31, theparts of the strut element 18 are moved closer together or are movedapart. Alternatively, the ends of the parts of strut element 18 can beslidable in a clamping device in the form of a sleeve 32, as shown inFigure 7. Set screws 33 are provided to fix the strut parts within thesleeve 32 and thus determine the length of the strut element.

A wide variety of colour lighting effects is obtainable by suitablechoice of the colouring of the plastic, glass or like base and topobtained as by incorporating suitable dyes. Also, where shades areemployed above the eye level, and intensity of lighting is of primeimportance, high power lamps may be employed, whilst it is possible toeliminate glare and after images by means of base and top membersconstructed for diffusion of light passing through them, by such meansprotection of the eyesight or concealed lighting effects beingobtainable with as little as loss in lighting efficiency.

Day light lighting effects are readily obtainable by the employment of,for example, a blue coloured cover or canopy with a grey-blue opaqueplastic or white reflector top member.

What I claim is:

l. A lampshade comprising a deformable tubular canopy tensionable to adesired form, upper and lower marginal elastic beads on said canopy, asupport for holding said canopy radially and axially to said form intautened condition, said support comprising an annulus having a greaterperimeter than the perimeter of said upper canopy bead and adapted toengage said upper canopy bead throughout its entire length upwardlythereunder, a second annulus having a greater perimeter than the saidlower canopy bead and adapted to engage said lower canopy beadthroughout its entire length downwardly thereover, and spring meansinserted between said two annuli to urge them into upward and downwardengagement with their respective canopy beads, said spring meansdisposed adjacent the center of the space enclosed by said canopy.

2. A lampshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring meanscomprises a cage structure incorporating a compression spring elementbetween annular parts outwardly engageable with the said annuli.

3. A lampshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring means compriseresilient strut elements, sockets on said annuli and staid strutelements having their ends' inserted in said sockets.

4. A lampshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said annuli is ofplate form and is centrally perforated for insertion therein of alampholder and attachment thereto, and the other of said annuli is alsoof plate form and centrally perforated to provide access to the shadeinterior for fitting a lamp bulb, the perforation of the last saidannulus being provided with a cover.

5. A lampshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring means comprisestrut elements and hinge means for providing a toggle action fortensioning the material of the canopy.

6. A lampshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring means compriseresilient strut elements formed in lengths and connected by leftandright-hand threaded union elements by which the extremities of theconnected lengths may be separated for straining the canopy materialresiliently and for adjustment to canopies of diffcrent lengths.

7. A lampshade comprising a deformable tubular canopy tensionable to adesired form, upper and lower marginal elastic beads on said canopy, asupport for holding said canopy radially and axially to said form intautened condition, said support comprising a resilient annulus having agreater perimeter than the perimeter of said upper canopy bead andadapted to engage said upper canopy bead continuously thereunder, asecond resilient annulus having a greater perimeter than the said lowercanopy bead and adapted to engage said lower canopy bead continuouslydownwardly thereover and spring means inserted between said two annulito urge them into upward and downward engagement with their respectivecanopy beads, said spring means disposed adjacent the center of thespace enclosed by said canopy.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,576,626 Burlin Mar. 16, 1926 1,727,859 Caldwell Sept. 10, 19291,776,101 Brady Sept. 16, 1930 2,037,941 Stadler Apr. 21, 1936 2,224,950Burke Dec. 17, 1940 2,230,186 Johns et al. Jan. 28, 1941 2,593,272 CohonApr. 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,634 Great Britain Feb. 19, 1887 206,080Great Britain Nov. 1, 1923

